DART is now accepting applications for the 2010 DART Organizers Institute, the paid, four-month field school for people interested in launching a career in community organizing. Participants will undergo a combined classroom and field training covering such topics as:
· Entering a community
· Identifying and training local leaders
· Strategic planning and issue cutting
· Relationship and community building
· Direct Action on community issues
· Fundraising
The DART Center has built coalitions throughout the country that have won important victories on a broad set of justice issues including:
· Education reform in low performing public schools
· Job Training
· Drugs and Violence
· Criminal Recidivism
· Living Wage
· Neighborhood Revitalization, etc.
The DART Organizers Institute combines a 7-day classroom orientation with 15 weeks of infield training at a DART host organization. This is a paid training program that includes: a $7,000 living stipend, transportation to the classroom orientation and host city, and mileage reimbursement during the infield training. Room, board and tuition will also be paid by DART during the 7-day classroom training. After successful completion of the program, DART will work to place graduates into permanent full time salaried positions ranging from ($32-35,000/year for Associate Organizers and $35-40,000 for Lead Organizers + health & benefits). DART is a 501(c)(3) organization, therefore, employees of the DART Network are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness under the recently enacted College Cost Reduction and Access Act. For more information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness, visit www.ibrinfo.org.
Graduates from the four-month DART Organizers Institute have gone on to accept Executive Director and Associate Community Organizing positions throughout the country.
The 7-day classroom orientation and 15-week infield training starts mid summer 2010 and runs through early Fall 2010. Training locations will include placements in several states around the country.
Although it may be helpful, no direct experience is necessary. Organizer Trainees (OTs) hired to participate in the DART Organizers Institute must demonstrate a desire to pursue community organizing as a long-term professional career. A master’s degree or similar life experience is preferred though not necessary. Candidates must have a college degree or be graduating prior to July 2010. Also, candidates must display a workmanlike diligence, be driven to produce sustained results, have proven capacity to build relationships of trust, create and execute a plan, act professionally, feel comfortable working with religious institutions, be accountable and willing to hold others accountable, demonstrate disciplined thought and action, and work in a team setting.
OTs must also have access to a car during their training and be flexible regarding relocation. Fluency in Spanish/English is a plus, and people of color are encouraged to apply.
The application deadline is January 15, 2010. To find out more about DART or to apply, send your resume to: Sunil Joy, DART Network, 820 New York Street Lawrence, KS 66044 or by email: sunil@thedartcenter.org. For questions, please call: (785) 841-2680. You can download the application or view profiles of previous OTs at the DART website: www.thedartcenter.org. You may also access a DART application and a DART OT Job Description on the Student Portal.
